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Test detects arthritis in dogs at earlier stage

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Dr. James L. Cook Courtesy of MU News Bureau​

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Posted on July 3, 2012

A research team from the University of Missouri-Columbia’s Comparative Orthopaedic Laboratory has developed a biomarker test to detect osteoarthritis in dogs and humans before they begin showing signs of the disease.

The test analyzes synovial fluid to determine whether a patient is developing osteoarthritis in a specific joint, to predict the potential severity of the disease, and to determine response to treatment.

“With this biomarker test, we can study the levels of specific proteins that we now know are associated with osteoarthritis,” said Dr. James L. Cook, a member of the research team. “Not only does the test have the potential to help predict future arthritis, but it also tells us about some of the early mechanisms of arthritis, which will lead to better treatments in the future.”

The team members developed the test from their research analyzing thousands of proteins in synovial fluid, serum, and urine from dogs. The research results appeared in the December 2011 issue of the Journal of Knee Surgery.

The test is currently being validated for the first proposed clinical uses in dogs and is in the initial stages of Food and Drug Administration approval for use in humans.